There’s an elf on a shelf in a Bay area hospital room after a Saturday skydive ended with a crash landing.

  • Skydiver dressed as Santa Claus crashed into tree
  • Skydiver had 'elf on a shelf' with him on the jump
  • Elf now spending time with 'Santa' as he recovers

Dramatic video captured the landing at the Tampa Bay Beach Bums Operation Santa Charity Volleyball Tournament on Gulfport Beach on Dec. 2. Gerard Krokus, dressed as Santa Claus, jumped out of a plane and crashed into a tree, breaking his leg.

Nine-year-old Madison Spiers watched it all unfold and says she was surprised to find out her elf on the shelf, Kristoff, who visits her house during the holidays, was also on board for the jump.

“I felt bad, because I never really seen anyone skydive and that was the first time I saw someone skydive and it didn’t turn out that well, so I felt really bad,” Madison said.

After the crash, Madison said she found a note from 'Kristoff.'

“The note said he went skydiving with G (Krokus), and he apparently showed up there with a broken leg,” she said.

Kristoff is no stranger to pranks, according to Madison.

“One time our elf said, 'I needed a place to chill out,'" Madison explained. "So we looked and we looked in the fridge and he was sitting in the fridge."

That was a cool prank if you ask the nine year old. The skydive, however? Not so much.

Thankfully Kristoff’s note to Madison explained everything.

Photo: Dominic Nelson

“As we were about to land this big tree jumped right out in front of us!" the note reads. "Don’t worry though…now G and I are resting in this hotel that they keep calling a ‘hospital’! G has reservations for a few more days, going to hang out with him so he doesn’t feel lonely!!”

That news was a relief for Madison’s mother's boyfriend, Dominic Nelson, who helped organize the event and who may or may not have had inside knowledge on the elf’s prank.

“I don’t know where elves get their information, but I guess he found out that Santa wanted to bring him a little more excitement and get him down to Madison, because he knew she’d be there selling raffle tickets and be in support of the event," Nelson said. "So I think he wanted to, I guess they like to pull pranks and this was one of his pranks."

But Krokus was all smiles after the prank went wrong. He even had someone snap a picture of him just before he was taken to the hospital.

We’re told Krokus had his second surgery on Tuesday on his leg and is expected to make a full recovery.

As for Kristoff, Madison says she's pretty sure he has more tricks up his sleeve once he gets home from the hospital.

“When he comes back he goes straight to the house," she told us. "He goes straight to our house and then he pulls more pranks."

The skydiving Santa is also a volleyball player and an avid skydiver. Nelson set up a gofundme account to help with his medical bills -- visit https://www.gofundme.com/skydivingsanta if you wish to make a donation.

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